Portsmouth pounds STA in tournament opener

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth High School girls lacrosse team entered the Division II tournament with championship hopes. St. Thomas Aquinas was just happy to be there.

And while that combination showed on the scoreboard Wednesday, both teams took something positive from the second-seeded Clippers’ 19-5 quarterfinal victory over the No. 7 Saints.

“We were happy to be here, happy to play Portsmouth,” said St. Thomas coach Briand Wade. “St. Thomas is a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in three years. These girls came from a team that was nowhere near making the playoffs last year, to a playoff team this year.”

Portsmouth, meanwhile, improved to 17-2 and advanced to the semifinal round at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester. The Clippers, who won the 2011 championship and lost to Bishop Guertin in last year’s semifinals, will face third-seeded Bedford (13-3) at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Bulldogs advanced with a 13-11 win over No. 6 Merrimack on Wednesday.

Bedford handed Portsmouth its only Division II loss of the season, 20-18, on April 11.

On Wednesday, the Clippers scored early and often behind a dominant offensive attack led by Devon Parker (five goals, one assist) and Olivia Eaton (four goals, three assists). Portsmouth led 15-2 at halftime and put it on cruise control in the second half.

“We were able to execute today and do what we wanted to do,” Clippers coach Mary Squire said. “I am impressed with our offensive performance. Our defense will have to come up big and be more solid if we are going to reach our goal. Defensively we have to execute and make plays. Scoring goals is the easy part of lacrosse.”

Natasha Nary (two goals, one assist) and Reagan Williams (one goal, one assist) led the Saints, who finished the season at 7-8. Hannah MacVane and Nicole Arsenault also scored, while goalie Emily Eno made seven saves.

“We’re still young, and we’re still growing as a team,” Wade said. “I am very proud of this team and the season we have had.”

Portsmouth went ahead 4-2 in the first 11 minutes of the game, then scored three goals in a 98-second span to take complete control. The Clippers also got big offensive production from Emily Whitney, who notched two goals and six assists, and Kaitlyn Finneral and Lizzy Rice, who scored three goals apiece.

The Clippers dominated on faceoffs, something they know will be key as they try to win their second championship in three years.

“Draw control is everything,” Eaton said. “It keeps them from having an opportunity to score. Ball control can lead to a fast break, so we want to get those because it immediately takes away a scoring opportunity from (the opponent).”

It also immediately creates a scoring opportunity for the Clippers. Portsmouth took advantage of each possession and used unselfish, pinpoint passing to weave through the St. Thomas defense with regularity.

“We have a lot of confidence in each other,” Eaton said. “We all know that every girl on this team can score. What matters is the passing. We might have a chance to score if we force a shot, but the key is to give it up to a teammate who has a 100 percent chance of scoring if you make the pass.

“Make the easy pass for the easy shot and guarantee it goes in,” she added. “We don’t want a stupid, reckless shot that only goes in some of the time; we want a good shot.”

And with good passing, the Clippers hope to have a good shot at another Division II championship.